Seared Halibut with Butter Beans and Green Olives
Halibut cooked to perfection served with butter beans and green olives in a savory sauce
Halibut cooked to perfection served with butter beans and green olives in a savory sauce
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 (6-ounce) halibut filets skinned
- 3 tablespoons canola oil enough to coat bottom of pan
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (up to 1/2 cup), sauvignon blanc or similar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 15 oz large butter beans fresh if you can find them, larger the better
- 2/3 cups green olives sliced lenghtwise into strips, about 10 to 15 olives
- 2/3 cups cherry tomatoes halved lengthwise
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 6 scallions thinly sliced, use mostly white parts and save the rest for garn
- 0.25 cup italian parsely coarsley chopped
- Carbohydrate 74.0336765449354 g
- Cholesterol 15.265 mg
- Fat 20.56563567653 g
- Fiber 22.0988499775148 g
- Protein 24.1584305840288 g
- Saturated Fat 5.06879393463964 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (226g)
- Sodium 415.348030168833 mg
- Sugar 51.9348265674206 g
- Trans Fat 0.890861133764697 g
- Calories 565 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook butter beans, including liquid from cans, in a medium pot.
- Cook 5-10 minutes over medium heat stirring occasionally to keep from sticking to bottom of pot.
- Reduce to low and cook until juice has thickened.
- Then, cover and keep warm.
- Season the halibut on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Cook the fish for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned.
- reduce heat and turn over and cook another 3 to 4 minutes longer, until the fish is browned on both sides and opaque in the center.
- Put the fish on a warm platter to keep warm, do not cover as you will loose your crispness.
- Add the wine and lemon juice.
- Cook for 1 minute on high to deglaze the pan and reduce the sauce.
- Reduce the heat and stir in the butter.
- Add the scallions, garlic, olives and tomato and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the beans, mix everything together and cook for another 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to mix.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour beans and sauce onto a warm plate then top with the fish and garnish with parseley.
- Serve immediately.
How do you keep a delicate piece of fish warm while the pan sauce reduces without ruining the crust? That exact logistical friction catches home cooks off guard when executing multi-component seafood dishes in a confined workspace. Halibut demands undivided attention at the stove, requiring a hot 12-inch sauté pan to build a proper protein crust, which means the bean and tomato base must be structured to hold safely off the heat without breaking or cooling down too aggressively. When searing lean white fish, maintaining high initial heat ensures the fillet releases naturally from the metal rather than sticking and tearing apart.
Managing Make-Ahead Elements and Reheating Storage
Preparation timing dictates success here because lean fish like halibut does not tolerate sitting under foil once cooked. While the fish must be seared immediately before serving to preserve its texture, the butter bean and olive mixture can be prepared up to two days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When reheating the bean mixture on the stovetop, add a tablespoon of water or white wine to compensate for lost moisture before dropping in the fresh butter. Freezing cooked halibut is strongly discouraged due to the high moisture content of the flesh, which turns rubbery and releases excessive water upon thawing.
- Store leftover bean and olive sauce sealed for up to 48 hours at 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Reheat the sauce gently over medium-low heat for 4 minutes until simmering before introducing fresh seafood.
- Never trap seared fish under a tight lid or foil tent, as steam destroys the exterior crispness within 60 seconds.
